This invention is in the field of water circulation and filtration systems for both freshwater and salt-water aquariums.
The maintenance of high water quality in aquariums is essential for successfully keeping many breeds of fish and other aquatic organisms. For example, it is the dream of every discus fish hobbyist to decorate their living space with plant-containing aquariums in which large discus fish live comfortably. However, it is not only labor-intensive, but also impractical for amateur hobbyists, or even professional breeders, to keep discus fish in tanks with plants due to the fact that discus require ultra clean water. The major source of contamination in an aquarium tank is debris from left-over food, plant and animal waste accumulated under the gravel, with the resulting release of excessive amounts of toxic metabolites and substances such as ammonium and organic acids from decaying substances. In addition, the presence of such debris promotes the growth of infectious bacteria and fungi. It is therefore strongly recommended that aquariums with discus fish do not contain any kind of bottom substrate in order to avoid the accumulation of debris. The only way to make a more attractive discus tank is to decorate the tank with individually potted plants, thereby lowering the aesthetic quality of the aquarium.
The two filtration systems commonly employed in aquariums are under-gravel and outside power filtration. The under-gravel filtration system provides water flow within and under the gravel, supplying oxygen to the plant roots, and promoting the growth of beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria, all of which are required for plant growth. The major drawback of this system is the need to remove all plants and gravel in order to clean the tank, and in particular to clean the bottom of the tank where all debris accumulates. The outside filtration system is less labor-intensive for cleaning and replacing filtration materials. However, debris will gradually accumulate under the gravel, making frequent cleaning of the gravel layer necessary in order to maintain a high level of water quality. There thus remains a need for a filtration system that prevents accumulation of debris at the bottom of the tank.
This invention provides a water filtration or cleaning system, together with methods for its use, which allows for automatic removal of debris accumulated at the bottom of an aquarium, thereby maintaining high quality water within the aquarium without intensive work.
In one embodiment, the inventive system comprises: (a) a water flushing tube adapted to be positioned at one of the aquarium, the water flushing tube comprising a first generally vertical tubular member connected at one end to a hose for connection to a water supply or to a reverse power-head pump, and connected at the other end to a generally right-angled water jet tube, or connector, having an opening to be positioned in proximity to the base of the aquarium; (b) a water draining tube adapted to be positioned at the opposing end of the aquarium, the water draining tube comprising a second generally vertical tubular member being connected at one end to a hose for the drainage of water out of the aquarium and connected at the other end to a generally right-angled siphon tube, or connector, having an opening to be positioned in proximity to the base of the aquarium; and (c) a water circulation tube adapted to be positioned at the opposing end of the aquarium, the water circulation tube comprising a third generally vertical tubular member being connectable at one end to a filter located outside the aquarium and having an opening to be positioned in proximity to the base of the aquarium. In a preferred embodiment, the aquarium is provided with a gravel screen and the openings of the water flushing tube, water circulation tube and water draining tube are positioned below the screen.
In an alternative embodiment, the water flushing tube is connected to a horizontal tube which is placed along at least one inner side of the aquarium and which has multiple holes placed along its length. Preferably the holes face perpendicular to the bottom of the tank. Similarly, the water circulation and draining tubes are connected to a second horizontal tube having multiple holes along its length and which is placed along at least one opposing side of the aquarium. Preferably the holes in the second horizontal tube face down towards the bottom of the aquarium.
In the inventive methods, water is passed through the water flushing tube, either from the water supply or by means of the reverse power-head pump, and directed towards the opposite side of the aquarium, thereby pushing debris accumulated on the bottom of the aquarium towards the water draining and water circulation tubes. Water and debris are then removed from the aquarium through the water draining tube into an external container or drain and/or through the water circulation tube to the filter. Preferably, water and debris are continually removed from the tank by means of the water circulating tube, with clean water being passed into the aquarium through the water flushing tube and water and debris being removed from the aquarium through the water draining tube as necessary.
Using the inventive system and methods, debris may be effectively removed from an aquarium without removing any objects, such as fish, live plants and gravel, thereby maintaining a high level of water quality cost-effectively and with minimal labor. The inventive system further enables effective use of the biological cleaning effect of the plants, which utilizes animal waste. The water quality in aquariums with densely growing plants is much higher than in a bare aquarium. Using conventional filtering and cleaning systems, the accumulation of debris significantly increases after a certain period and overwhelms the plants"" water cleaning ability. Using the inventive system, the accumulation of debris can be readily avoided by routine removal of debris at the aquarium bottom. When plants grow well, their nitrogen uptake is significant and much less water exchange is required.
The above-mentioned and additional features of the present invention and the manner of obtaining them will become apparent, and the invention will be best understood by reference to the following more detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.